This edition was prepared by Jonathan Goodliffe — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Aleph. Ego vir videns
Staff Notation • Sacred, Arias
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Aleph. Ego vir videns by José de Torres — Lyrics
Incipit Lamentatio Jeremiae prophetae.
ALEPH. Quomodo sedet sola civitas plena populo!
Facta est quasi vidua domina gentium;
princeps provinciarum facta est sub tributo.
BETH. Plorans ploravit in nocte, et lacrimæ ejus in maxillis ejus:
non est qui consoletur eam, ex omnibus caris ejus;
omnes amici ejus spreverunt eam, et facti sunt ei inimici.
GHIMEL. Migravit Judas propter afflictionem, et multitudinem servitutis;
habitavit inter gentes, nec invenit requiem:
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About Aleph. Ego vir videns
José de Torres composed this sacred aria for solo voice. The text is taken from the Lamentations of Jeremiah, a traditional liturgical text of profound sorrow and lament. The opening words, "ALEPH. Quomodo sedet sola civitas plena populo!" ('ALEPH. How lonely sits the city that was full of people!'), set a tone of desolation and loss. This solo setting allows for a powerful and intimate expression of the prophet's grief over the destruction of Jerusalem and its people. The Latin text, deeply rooted in biblical tradition, speaks of a city made like a widow, abandoned by friends and overcome by enemies. The composer's setting would likely capture the dramatic and emotional weight of this ancient prophecy.
